Easy and effective daily plan to flatten your mummy tummy and get rid of the pesky skin flap!

Chances are that your new flabby tummy is one of the things you are most shocked about in terms of changes to your body after having a baby. Fear not! It is perfectly normal to still look pregnant for a while after you have had your baby, and be able to grab a handful of squidgy belly! The first thing you need to think about post-birth, before you start exercising your abs, is how your tummy has responded to pregnancy and birth.

Maria is all across the TV this morning with her controversial photo, which shows her with a flat tummy and amazing body with her 3 children. All credit to her this is very clever PR (probably carefully planned for maximum exposure) and has got her worldwide coverage!

She shouldn’t be getting so much criticism though, she is a hard working mum who has prioritised her fitness and her body, setting a great example to her kids.

From my own experience I know that you don’t have to sacrifice time with your children to exercise. If you are motivated you can fit it in around them. But it is hard work, which is why most women don’t bother. Don’t blame her for taking control and looking amazing!

I lost all my baby weight in 2 weeks with both of my daughters with sensible eating and exercise at home, following my exercise plan, the 3-plan. Make having a child the time you become a healthier, fitter, more confident woman and your whole family will benefit.

In the same way that fit/gym/swiss balls (they have many names!) are great to exercise with during pregnancy they are perfect for new mums, particularly in the weeks and months following childbirth when you are gradually regaining your strength and fitness.

Your deep core muscles, back, surface abs and pelvic floor may all be weakened by pregnancy and childbirth and working out with the ball is perfect to aid their recovery. This is because anything you do on the ball is going to require you to balance and stabilise yourself using your deep abdominal muscles (or TVA – Transversus abdominis). You can also do a huge variety of exercises with a gym ball (especially if you also have a set of dumbbells) to work your whole body and keep your workouts interesting!

You don’t need to embark on an intense, time-consuming exercise programme in pregnancy.

It is much better to do little and often for the whole nine months, than do regular, long workouts for three months and then stop. If you stop exercising all those fab benefits will be lost.

Try to do your daily bum, tum and pelvic floor exercises and if you can within the course of a week 2 or 3 cardio sessions and 2 or 3 resistance sessions. If you can only do 15-20 minutes each time that’s much better than nothing.

Having a toddler and a full-time job I truly appreciate how busy life is, but if you want good results you have to put the effort in. Nothing in life comes for free so make a commitment to your exercise now.

Keep your goals realistic; this is the time for maintenance, not intense training. Try to embrace and work with your changing body. Remember if you follow the 3-Plan you can do this in chunks to suit you.

It says Moms who work full time are healthier at age 40 than stay-at-home moms, moms who work part time, or moms who have some work history, but are repeatedly unemployed, according to a new research from University of Akron Assistant Sociology Professor Adrianne Frech. “Work is good for your health, both mentally and physically. It gives women a sense of purpose, self-efficacy, control and autonomy. They have a place where they are an expert on something, and they’re paid a wage,” said Frech.

The article makes some interesting points. I don’t think anyone can say that it is the right thing or the wrong thing for a mum to go to work; it all depends on the circumstances of that woman and that family. It is however, nice to see a positive spin for mums that are working hard. It must be a good thing for the children concerned if their mum is more healthy mentally and physically?